I Made a DIY Tomoe River Journal - DIY Bookbinding

[@kariballote8953]

Do you know which way the grain goes on the loose leaf sheets? I’ve been wanting to do this but I find that most paper goes against the grain for bookbinding when folding in half.

[@michelleashley59]

Unfortunately it goes the same way as all the others. I just deal with the issues that the incorrect grain causes. It's not ideal lol

[@MariaRosseau]

That hole-punching jig is ingenious! Well done. :) I do what I've seen DAS Bookbinding do, which is to make a paper template, but of course that doesn't have nearly this level of precision. With my Tomoe River I think I've just used regular sewing thread because it's such delicate paper anyway. I've got a load of Cosmo Air Snow paper that I am going to make into some journals... eventually. 😅 Thinking I'll try to do a cover like is on a Hobonichi, just some stiffened card, nothing as thick as bookboard. I haven't yet tried to make or use book cloth, though I've got the paper to back the fabric with already. I think I've seen people make bookcloth using fusible interfacing as a backing and honestly I should probably just do that. I've really loved watching your process! I also really love that you're using what you've got. 😄It's so easy to get caught up in having the exact right materials when close enough is usually good enough.

[@MariaRosseau]

Just saw the end with the wobbliness of the paper - this is partly because the Tomoe River paper you can get in A4 is long grain, and if you're using glue it's better if it's short grain, because the moisture in the glue causes the paper to expand across the grain. Hope I'm remembering short vs. long in what I said. I've avoided this so far by using binding methods that don't require the block to be glued to the case. (I used the Crisscross binding.)

[@michelleashley59]

Thank you so much! I also tried das bookbinding's method but I kept messing up my holes. I'm hindsight, I probably should have used some lighter thread. And yeah they incorrect grain is an unfortunate side effect of using this paper :( I wish I could buy it in bigger sheets

[@MariaRosseau]

@@michelleashley59 I've looked all over for Tomoe River with the right grain direction for me. 😭

[@cerealnana]

I haven't tried to bind Tomoe River as it is so thin! I absolutely love the punch binder you made and wish I had one instead of the We Are Memory Keepers one I bought. Love how you use what you've got instead of buying all the things. Really need to do that myself!

[@michelleashley59]

Supplies are expensive and I have a lot of hobbies, so I always like to see what I can get away with using instead of buying. It keeps me thinking creatively!

[@h4r4s4r4]

Your cat is the cutest! :3

[@michelleashley59]

I had to keep taking breaks while filming to give him pets :3